I discovered today that the Christmas songwriter I wrote about last December, Judy Pancoast, has a zombie connection. You'll have to read my column Thursday to find out the details, but I'll entice you with this link to the future heartwarming holiday classic, "Christmas With the Dead."

Just in case there are any readers of this blog who don't also read my columns in print or online, I wanted to make a pitch here for everyone to: 1. Send me nominations for your favorite holiday displays in Lehigh or Northampton counties 2. Send me a check for at least $25 made out to Second Harvest Food Bank, which gives you a chance to win a guided tour, perhaps even in the Air Products hydrogen bus. You'll also get an assortment of gourmet cookies prepared by the Lights Tour's official baker, Louise Melcher.

Once I get my column filed for Tuesday, I think I'll hit the road to document leftover campaign signs. If you know where there's a concentration of them still out there, shoot me a Comment with the location.

I got some good responses to last week’s “What Is It?” item, which isn’t surprising, considering the fabulous prizes in the offing. Clearly, it was some kind of boring tool, but its exact purpose was the mystery.

In case you've been wondering why any legislator would oppose even discussing two Pennsylvania House bills that would loosen statutes of limitations for civil suit in child sex abuse cases, the answer is that there are powerful forces opposing them.

I know a lot of people take vacation the day after Thanksgiving, but I always make a point of working. This is because I want no parts of the traffic and crowds assocated with Black Friday. Holed up at work, I’m safe.

I promised in Monday’s post to share the full text of state House Judiciary Chairman Ron Marsico’s, R-Dauphin, response to a child sex abuse protection advocate who wanted to know why he was blocking consideration of two important bills on that subject. I’ll also direct you to two responses to his letter, including one by a lawyer who is considered an expert on these matters.

My Saturday column about the victims of child sex abuse mentioned legislation that has been bottled up by state House Judiciary Committee Chairman Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin. I quoted briefly from an email he wrote to the leader of one advocacy group, explaining his opposition.

I’ll start by thanking any veterans who are reading this today and urging all of you, if you have the opportunity, to thank veterans today for their service. Their sacrifices on our behalf should leave all of us in awe.

I wrote Monday about my disinchantment with the statement of Penn State Coach Joe Paterno about his passive role in what appears to have been a coverup of a horrendous sexual assault in the football team's locker room. I was shocked at some of the reaction, which among other things blamed the media for making a big deal of this, in effect called his critics Monday morning quarterbacks and suggested that Paterno was the equivalent of a "middle manager" quite properly reporting allegations of wrongdoing to his superiors.

That's an extremely provocative headline, I know. Given the level of hero-worship that many Penn State fans -- and others -- feel for Coach Joe Paterno, it's almost sacrilege to question his moral character. I've always held him the highest regard myself.

I got some provocative emails in the wake of last weekend’s storm and my column about it, so I decided to share a few of them with you today. I’ll also show you another of the photos readers have sent me of grammar-or-spelling-challenged signs.

Today’s “What Is It?” item is a brief break from the string of mostly farm-related items I’ve been showing you from one couple’s collection. I still have one more of those, which I’ll unveil in two weeks, and I expect to visit there again soon to collect several new items to be photographed.